Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince (Kreyol: Potoprens) is the capital of the Republic of Haiti. It is also known in Haitian Creole, the nation's dominant official language, as Pòtoprens. It is Haiti's largest city and also the seat of Port-au-Prince Arrondissement. The city proper covers 14 square miles (36 km2) with an estimated population of 987,310 in 2015, making it the second largest city in the West Indies and the 49th largest Latin-American city. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Port-au-Prince, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 2,618,894 people in 2016 and ranking as the 30th such area in North America. About In terms of political importance, geographical position and sheer magnificence, the superlative city of the Republic is Port-au-Prince, the capital. Port-au-Prince is the centre of the political and intellectual life of the country and is the seat of the State University of Haiti (established in 1920). Port-au-Prince is one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere, founded on the Cul-de-Sac Plain in 1749 by sugar planters from France. It was the scene of several key events of the Haitian Revolution, such as 1791 uprising, the British occupation and withdrawal, and the Haitian Declaration of Independence. Upon Haitian independence from France, it continued to be an important port and export hub as well as a center for the arts and culture. Port-au-Prince was celebrated for its impressive public buildings, canals, theaters, and thoroughfares, many of which led from distant provinces. The most prominent features were the Morne l'Hôpital and the hills. Both places overlooked the city, the hub of the entire nation. Modern-day Port-au-Prince is located on a natural harbor on the Gulf of Gonâve which has allowed it to sustain more economic activity than other areas of Haiti. The city has never expanded beyond its 14 square mile land area. Its rich history attracts many tourists. Recently, tourism has become an important part of Port-au-Prince's economy, however most tourist activity focuses around the city's historic districts and affluent areas. The Port-au-Prince area's many vendors make it an center of business and the city is considered to be a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. Port-au-Prince's economic base also includes coffee, sugar, food, soap, textiles, and cement. Alternatively described as the glorious crowning achievement of mankind and as the sewer of the universe where all the scum from every corner of history gathered, Port-au-Prince had reasons for both civic pride in its architecture and shame for staggering urban social problems not unlike the typical city. neighborhood]] Distinctive and Unique features The Historic district of Port-au-Prince is arranged in a grid system, similar to that found in most colonial cities in the Caribbean. This grid system deteriorates into a maze of short streets, alleys, and unpaved roads farther away from the central squares. The heart of the city, where the majority of historical and political offices are located, is bisected by the Jean-Jacques Dessalines and by the Rue Pavée. Moving out from this heart are the business and residential sectors of the city. The most central neighborhoods are Morne-à-Tuf, Bois Verna, Poste Marchand, Bel-Air, and Croix de Bossales. Farther out are the neighborhoods of Bolosse, Carrefour Feuille, Turgeau, Cité-Saint-Martin, Bourdon, Canapé-Vert, Bois Patate, Babiole, and La Saline. Because of the growth of the city, areas even farther from the center of the city are now considered part of the larger metropolitan area. The neighborhoods of Cité-Simone, Village Lamothe, Cité-Saint-George, Delmas, Bois Caradeux, Musseau, and even Pétion-Ville and Thomassin are included in the city's activities. Most of the historical sites are located in the central district, and are nearly all the city squares. Business and banking are generally concentrated in the neighboring municipalities of Delmas, and Pétion-Ville. Owing to the migration of large numbers of Haitian peasants into the city's urban areas, most of the mulatto elite have moved into the suburbs. Many businesses have followed, leaving the heart of Port-au-Prince relatively deserted. Only government officials, a few businesses, the poor, and the homeless remain. The homeless fill the major neighborhoods of th city and have begun building on land previously considered too dangerous for construction. Whole neighborhoods have been built in the ravines leading down into Port-au-Prince, on land that is susceptible to natural disturbances. The houses, constructed predominantly from cinder blocks and tin, are massed together in such density that it would seem impossible for the inhabitants to live with any comfort. These areas are called bidonvilles (shantytowns) or cités carton (cardboard cities). The houses here have no services and residents survive by tapping water lines and stealing electricity. History In 1749, the site of Port-au-Prince was mainly retained as the capital of Leeward Islands for military, administrative and economic reasons. Very quickly, after its foundation, would natural disasters disrupt its growth. In 1751, for example, two hurricanes and two trenches of earth destroyed almost all the houses in the city. Later in 1770, new devastating earthquakes led to an order prohibiting building other than wood or masonry between posts. Despite these misfortunes, during the colonial period, Port-au-Prince remained a prosperous city whose development and fortune were based on commercial relations linking the colony to the metropolis. This prosperity ends in 1791 with civil wars and the War of Independence. Many fires ravaged the city. A century later, ie at the end of the 19th century, the infrastructure of the capital improved (construction of schools, public buildings, a sewage system, public lighting, street repair...). The North American occupation marked the beginning of the rapid growth of the capital; the occupiers reorganized the administration, however, for political and economic reasons, they favored the centralization of activities in Port-au-Prince to the detriment of provincial towns and ports. After 1950, centralization and migration intensified thereby disrupting the urban environment. Towards the end of the century, the infrastructures improved, the industrialization developed but at the same time the urban problems multiplied: proliferation of the zones of precarious housing, densification and degradation of the urban center, alarming deficiency of the urban services, uncontrolled spatial extension, breakage of ecological balance etc. As the commune and capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince has three (3) communal sections. It is coastal, its climate is mostly hot. Its inhabitants are called Port-au-Princiens. In 1998, its population was estimated at 981,213 and was projected in 2004 to nearly 1,230,000. It is the densest municipality of the country. Economy As the national capital, Port-au-Prince is the center of the country's economy. It is one of the leading exporters of coffee and sugar. It also used to export baseballs, shoes and other goods. Many food-processing plants and factories of soap, cement and textile, as well as construction companies can be found in Port-au-Prince. For economic and financial infrastructure, Port-au-Prince has over seventy hotels (large and small), over 400 restaurants (Bar, snack included), two dozen Banks (mother houses and annexes), and dozens of Caisses populaires and Marketing cooperatives. The commercial and economic establishments are numerous in the municipality, one can cite for example: Dozens of markets (large and small), a few dozen department Stores, hundreds of shops, hundreds of food supply centers, User clothing Depots (pépé), clairin deposits, and hundreds of coal and food products, pharmacies and beauty studios. Saturday is market day in Port-au-Prince; the chance to meet friends, gossip and shop draws large crowds to the Haitian capital. Sophisticated, French-educated members of the urban ruling class crammed into the market square beside illiterate farmers, a generation removed from slavery, who walk in from the surrounding villages for a rare day out. Attractions of the city There are few business opportunities in Port-au-Prince, the side for participation in the market economy that has existed since Haiti was a French colony. Light industry and telecommunications activities may soon bring more employmentment to Haiti, but little business growth has been seen in the Port-au-Prince area. Haiti was the first country to accept the Caribbean Basin Initiatives and build an economic production zone near the airport. Unfortunately, this zone has not led to any appreciable economic growth, and Haiti's position in the world economy has declined: in1998 the country had a trade deficit of $197 million, signifying an imbalance of imports and exports. Port-au-Prince's few exports are agricultural, brought from the province's for shipment to France and the United States, Haiti's chief purchasers of exports. Haiti receives millions of dollars in international aid as a result of the declining economy. In addition, food commodities are provided for the many poor and homeless in the capital and throughout Haiti. Tourism Tourism used to have a lot of potential, as the capital was once a popular destination for cruises. However, political unrest, higher crime rate and other factors made it a little less attractive to tourists, leading to a huge drop in tourism. Currently, there are no more cruise ships coming to the city's ports. For tourists, the principal attractions are National Palace and the surrounding squares and monuments. The immaculate white National Palace is encircled by a wrought iron fence and stands as a symbol of political power. It is also now seen as a symbol of Haiti's developing democracy, a theme repeated in many statues along in the nearby squares. Statues commemorating the Marron Inconnu, the unknown Maroon who fought for Haiti's independence from French colonial rule, and honoring Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who fought for Haiti's independence from the rule of military dictators, are visible from the front of the National Palace. Haiti's historical museum of national heroes is also noteworthy. Built primarily underground, the museum houses national treasures including important works of art, photography, and natural artifacts. The National Cathedral, completed in 1914 and renovated in 1966 is in the area as well. There are many examples of Victorian Colonial architecture, both great and small, to be seen in Port-au-Prince. The Victorian style, called "gingerbread" in Haiti, is characterized by extreme attention to detail and the embellishment in trim. Bright, pastel colors are often used to accentuate the woodwork. Unfortunately, many of these houses are in disrepair. Perhaps the best example of Caribbean Victorian architecture is the Hôtel Oloffson. Hotels in the Port-au-Prince area also support Haitian artists and craftspeople. For example, the intricately carved doors to the casino at the Hotel Montana in Pétion-Ville are entirely handmade by local artisans. Tourists may see other Haitian art at one of the many galleries scattered throughout Pétion-Ville, a wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince. These Gallery specialize in all types of Haitian art, from the abstract expressionism of painter Yves Meus music to the intricate, folk beadwork of Haitian Vodun flags. Many of the galleries purchase particularly important works for resale at higher values. Geography Port-au-Prince is built on a hillside, and it is set up in such a manner that neighborhoods are distinguishable from one another as travelers move up or down the hillside. This differs from other cities in that most locations have neighborhoods which are each contained within one small space; in Port-au-Prince they extend horizontally around the hillside. For example, one neighborhood rings the entire base of the hillside, so that one point of the neighborhood is directly across the hill from the other. That same point may be only a short distance from the next neighborhood which is just slightly above it in elevation. This is important to know because the neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince are said to go up in value as they go up in elevation. Neighborhoods The City of Port-au-Prince is split into three Communal sections: streets The commune of Port-au-Prince occupies an area of 36.04 km2 (14 Sq mi), and is located at the western end of the Cul-de-Sac plain at the end of Port-au-Prince bay, forming itself part of the Gulf of Gonâve. She is leaning on the Chaîne de la Selle mountains to the south where we find among others the wealthy suburb of Pétion-Ville. Port-au-Prince is traversed by some streams including the Bâtarde River and the ravine of Bois-de-Chêne. The city itself is spread over 16 hills: Saint-Martin Sans-Fil Bel Air Canapé Vert Bourdon Fort National Saint-Gerard Turgeau Pacot Morne-à-Tuff Poste-Marchand Nazon Bois-Verna Bolosse Nelhio Fort Mercredi Climate Regarding temperatures, they are regular all year round with an average annual temperature of 26.5 ° C (80F). The regularity of warm temperatures throughout the year is characteristic of tropical climates. Rainfall is relatively high, with an average of 51 inches per year. This average is slightly lower than the average rainfall in the country. This is explained by the location of Port-au-Prince in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, which experiences a much drier climate. Nevertheless, proximity to the ocean tends to soften temperatures by refreshing the air temperature. Port-au-Prince therefore benefits from a maritime influence. In Port-au-Prince, 2 peaks of precipitation are observed, April-May then from August to October. Climatic analysis is important to understand the water course of rivers. Culture The non-profit Haiti Jazz, in collaboration with Caracoli and Haiti Music, came together to launch the new media library in downtown Port-au-Prince recently. The House of Music (kay mizik la in Créole) was built as an archival storage space to house collections of Haiti's music history, its recordings, documented history, and music artifacts. The European Union (EU) has subsidized the project. The motivation to create the media library was to develop awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of Haiti's cultural contribution to music arts. The EU's Cultural Secretary, Leandro Medeot, on hand at the launch, commented on the importance of developing and carrying forward the artistic and social influences of Haitian music. The House of Music will provide a forum for music industry artists, musicologists, and technology specialists to gather, share, explore, and define the evolution and impact of Haitian music on the cultural landscape. The House of Music will offer music lovers the entire catalog of Haitian music, books on its history, and music artifacts. The modest yearly fee the House of Music plans to charge will be used to maintain staff and upkeep of the facility. Director of Haiti Jazz, Milena Sandler, envisions a space where music professionals will hold education programs, panel discussions, seminars, and performances. She acknowledges the library budget is limited and "that all holders of works of the Haitian musical heritage will agree to share them with us, so that we can make them available to the public." Relationships between the city and the outside Barbie princess always been a stratified City. And was wants to buy the long lines of color in class, corresponding to the dividing line to the major Metropolitan neighborhoods. This division is still evident as one moves from place to place in Port-au-Prince. The advice of Haitian peasants from the provinces is increased ingenuity squatting in the rapping rapid construction of poor housing in alleys and it largely desert in the commercial areas. Now the city is the home of the poor by the wealthy live in the suburbs higher than the mountains, particularly in Bishopville, thomasin, and for math. Interestingly, the patient or refer to their places of residence in the city as per quote down here unquote in the places of residence of the more well-to-do as growth of their quote ology that reinforces history class. Government Port-au-Prince is currently headed by a mayor and it can be recalled that the capital was one of the towns that felt the full impact of the quake. A lot of historical buildings and attractions in the city were destroyed, including the Cathedral de Port-au-Prince, the Palace of Justice, and the Legislative Palace. Even though three years have already passed since the calamity, the capital has yet to fully recover from it. A lot of work still have to be done, as poverty continues to grip the country. Infrastructure Education The Ministry of the National Youth and Sports Education is headquartered in Port-au-Prince as well as the various offices involved in the management of other offices and annexes of the Department or the entire country. Over 200 private Kindergarten were inventoried. At the primary level, twenty six public and dozens of private and congregational schools were inventoried. Fourteen public high schools, numerous private, and six Congregational were also listed. Health The Ministry of Public Health and Population is headquartered in Port-au-Prince. With regard to the health facilities and staff attached to the latter, a high concentration was observed at the level of the commune in relation to the other municipalities in the country. Hundreds of doctors, dentists, nurses, and auxiliaries were counted in the health facilities of the commune. Utilities With regard to the availability of water, in addition to the drinking water supply network that hardly covers the commune, there is currently a number of Community fountains (28) at the neighbourhood level that allow people to feed a little more Easily in drinking water. Most of the commune of Port-au-Prince is electrified. Sewage Chicago and Port-au-Prince were both founded by men of Haitian descent, but that is where their similarity ends. Chicago built its own underground sewer system for both waste water and storm water back in the 1856. Port-au-Prince, one of the largest cities of million people, has no sewer system. It is noteworthy to mention that just 4 years ago, the country faced the worst epidemic of cholera in recent history; more than a half-million people have gotten sick and the disease took the lives of more than 8,231 Haitians. The cumulative sewage and garbage of over 3 million people flows through open ditch. Every night, few 'bayakou' workers remove the cesspools that collect deep bogs of human waste from man-sized holes (fifty-cubic-metre) under Haiti's backyard latrines and dumped them into the city canals. During the rain, these wastes spill over the city environment before going to the sea. People living seaside, use over-the-sea hanging toilets and during emergency, they use some sort of plastic bag and throw the dirt out on the streets. The U.N. senior coordinator for cholera response in Haiti has estimated that the building of a nationwide water and sanitation infrastructure would cost around $1.6 billion. But Haiti certainly can't afford to undertake such projects, and the international community does not seem very willing to help. A national project is very much needed to tackle the challenges of sewage in Haiti that will protect the public against certain preventable diseases, create many necessary employment and countless new jobs and a decent living condition will contribute towards the development of tourism in the country to give the country the much needed economic boost. The authorities must make clear what they really mean by reconstruction when there is no plan to deal with raw sewage, and there is no access to clean water for the average Haitian. Security In terms of Administrative and judicial infrastructures, the commune of Port-au-Prince has several police offices (including commissariats and substations), including the Ministry of Justice, the courthouse, the peace courts and state offices Mainly in sections (North, southeast, etc.) following the place where they are located in the commune. Transportation Despite Port-au-Prince's heavy reliance on non-motorized forms of transport, streets are a defining feature of the city. Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area's street grid plan greatly influenced the city's physical development. Several of the city's streets and avenues, like Delmas 2, are also used in planning. In addition, many roads in the municipality become impassible after rain storms, when water and mud fill the streets. Public transportation exists in the form of taptaps, converted pickup trucks or minibuses that run regular routes for a small fare. Taptaps are usually very colorful painted trucks whose beds have been converted into covered seating. Most of these vehicles are named, and citizens of Port-au-Prince often have preferences for which they choose to take from one destination to another. Taptaps connect all of the major neighborhoods with one why they each other, tie in the suburbs with the rest of the city, and link the city with the rest of Haiti to some degree. They are an informal-sector response to a municipal need, serving at the primary mode of transportation for many Haitians. In addition, they carry agricultural and other goods to the markets in Port-au-Prince, supporting the largest and most important economic activity in the country. Culture Religion Nearly 173 temples (cathedrals, churches, chapels and resorts included) were counted in the commune. A diversified number of religions have been identified in the commune, the names of the latter vary depending on the mission or the person in charge. Organization Forty-three Political parties have representation in the commune. Ten Popular organizations, women's groups, twelve NGOs and eighteen international organizations were also inventoried in the municipality. Communication In the area of the telephone, the municipality has an administrative office, a telephone exchange and several ancillary offices distributed almost throughout the municipality. In addition to the Central postal office and its annexes, the municipality benefits from the service of at least ten other private institutions occupying the mail coming mainly from abroad. In addition, fifteen radio stations, eleven magazines/newspapers and two television stations were also listed in the municipality. Leisure As for leisure, the commune of Port-au-Prince has ten libraries, three cinemas, two theatre halls, and two museums. The sports are football (soccer), volleyball, basketball, tennis, athletics, and martial arts. For monuments and sites, they are mostly of historical type. The commune of Port-au-Prince is one of the communes that has the most public squares. There are about twenty scattered in most of the commune with a high concentration going from the Champ de Mars to the level of the National Palace. External Links, sources Transport in Haiti: http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/architecture/media/LU_6_Transportation_Simms.pdf Six lessons from rebuilding Port-au-Prince http://citiscope.org/story/2015/six-lessons-rebuilding-port-au-prince Encyclopedia of urban cultures; Grolier, pp. 446-54 pap100.jpg|Port-au-Prince Haiti marathon.jpg|Map of the Port-au-Prince Marathon LaluePAP.jpg|Rue de Lalue; Port-au-Prince Michael Vedrine Category:Capitals in North America Category:Haiti